10/01/07
Whichever candidates win in this upcoming 2007 election, it will be much better for WBAI if the LSB starts to work effectively again. The problem of the current LSB meetings is that there is so much distrust, rancor, and acrimony that the meetings are pathetically and almost comically dysfunctional. By this I mean that it seems that about 3/4 of each meeting is spent on procedural matters about the meeting and the LSB itself, not about WBAI. Actually, if this could be overcome, then I could probably work well with any or all of the candidates or current members. So here are some ideas to make the LSB work better. They are for the LSB members and especially the chairperson.
My overview is that this struggle at the LSB, is all a tempest in a teapot. WBAI, as a legal entity is really just Pacifica doing business in NY as WBAI. Pacifical owns, is entirely legally and financially responsible for and operates the radio station WBAI. All the local station boards, even though they are considered committees of the entire Pacifica National Board (PNB) legally only advise. The PNB is no more obligated to take their advice, than the advice of any other cubcommittee of the Board.
Therefore, whatever resolutions, which are legally resolutions of advice, the majority of the LSB passes or doesn't pass, in current circumstances the PNB is going to look very carefully at the advice of the other significant minority opinions, which in this circumstance means the opinions of the “other side”. So all of this maneuvering for parliamentary advantage at the LSB meetings is pretty much meaningless and of little functional consequence. Only unanimous or concensus opinions of the LSB will carry much weight for a while. It never seemed this way in the past because WBAI was self supporting and more. Whether at Pacifica or General Motors, profitable subdivisions have more sovreignty.
In reality, for the next year or so, the new station manager and the PNB are going to try to save WBAI, and call more of the shots. For example, this last weekend (Sept 30th 2007) the PNB decided not to approve the WBAI 2008 budget, although the LSB voted to recommend approval. In fact, starting today WBAI is budgeted via an emergency PNB “continuing resolution” for only 90 days, with a financial audit, salary reductions, staff reductions, and a “forensic audit” (to look for malfeasance and mismanagement), weekly reports on cash flows and bank balances in this same 90 days. This is evidence of financial failure during the last 3 years, and the widely remarked upon and well documented failures of the LSB have not helped here.
All the LSB members can do in a positive sense, is support these efforts at saving the station and the network and/or try to offer suggestions for improvement. WBAI has lost much of its independence by becoming insolvent. Behind the efforts for radical increases in financial accountability stand the PNB and much more significantly, behind them stands the actual current financial situation, which is pretty much inflexable. My diagnosis is that the the ego's of the members of the LSB on all sides have gotten away from them. My recommendation is that we should all work together more nicely in what is actually more like a forum for cooperative discussion and development than a governing body. So in this spirit I offer suggestions for the better working of the LSB in the near future.
1. Consider rotating the chairmanship of each meeting to different member in advance, from the different factions, with possible delegation by the chair to a designated substitute. In other words, consider time proportional representation of the chairmanship of LSB meetings. This might help fairness.
2. Meet or communicate with the other LSB members, often and informally, either in person or by email, or phone. Find out the positions of people with whom one doesn't necessarily agree. Think about what they are saying, and give then enough time to think about what you are saying, in advance. Try not to surprise your fellow board members at meetings.
3. Work out meeting agendas in advance, if possible, informally or by email. Treat the job of chairmanship as that of a facilitator.
The LSB is small enough and meets often enough that agendas should be easy to arrange. Any email by a member containing a proposed agenda item needs to be recognized, one way or another. The secret to efficiency here is not too many surprises at the meeting itself. Maybe it informally goes to committee or just gets delayed a little for informal study. Maybe it is introduced as a motion and studied later.
4. Spend 10 minutes prior to the meeting asking people informally what important and last minute items they might want to bring up. In other words, telegraph your punches, give advance notice of controversial positions. Be ready to learn from those who might be opposing you on an issue.
5. For a few initial meetings, set the meeting adjournment time for 10:00 pm, or whenever we physically get thrown out of the space, so that the tragi-comical wasting of time trying to set, and then reset the adjournment time, which sometimes ridiculously takes 40% of the time available for the meeting, is avoided.
6. In terms of parliamentary procedure we all pretty much are incompetent. Be inclusive, forgiving where possible. Get more discussion prior to asking for votes on resolutions. Consider even suspending Roberts rules of order for the first half hour of each meeting or so, to allow all of the LSB members and maybe some listeners the opportunity to say what's on their minds without all these interruptions. We can then reinstate Roberts rules if and when we want to pass a resolution or two.
7. Have division votes by raising of hands, with identification of the members by the secretary after each vote. Waste less time procedurally by agreeing as to which are the divisive issues beforehand, to the maximal extent.
8. More meditating. Less grandstanding. You're only in an advisory body, and, realistically, the minority has about as much influence on the deciding body, the PNB, as the majority.
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